SANTA ROSA / Sentencing for man in grove arson case

Published 4:00 am, Wednesday, May 15, 2002

A man who called himself the "Phantom Patriot" was sentenced Tuesday to nearly 12 years in prison for a bizarre episode that he undertook in hopes of exposing human sacrifice at the Bohemian Grove.

Richard McCaslin, 37, of Carson City, Nev., was arrested in January after he was found trespassing at the Bohemian Grove -- dressed in a hooded costume with "Phantom Patriot" written on the chest and carrying an arsenal of weapons.

He admitted to investigators that he had set fire to the Bohemian Club's mess hall. Authorities said he told them he had been searching for pagan owl worshipers sacrificing children. He was convicted in April by a Sonoma County jury. On Tuesday, Sonoma County Judge Elliot Daum gave him a term of 11 years and 8 months for arson with enhancements for wearing a bulletproof vest and brandishing a weapon at a peace officer. McCaslin said he was inspired by a Texas talk show host, Alex Jones, who claimed he had seen "bizarre, Luciferian ceremonies" at the 2,700-acre grove known for its annual two-week summer encampment that draws business and political leaders, such as Henry Kissinger and former President George Bush.